The 13th October has been designated as the date to celebrate the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) by the United Nations General Assembly. The aim of the commemoration/celebration is to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.
Since it began more than 25 years ago, the day has grown into a major global awareness event celebrated in many ways to encourage efforts to build more disaster-resilient communities and nations.
In St. Kitts-Nevis, NEMA and NDMD have taken that template to engage stakeholders, volunteers and community residents, through events and exercises that span a week, leading up to IDDR. For many years this exercise has comprised activities that enable resilience within all communities and groups by bringing awareness to Comprehensive Disaster Management.
The 2018 IDDR Calendar of Events began yesterday, October 7th, with Worship at St. George’s Anglican Church in Basseterre. NEMA Staff, led by National Disaster Coordinator, Abdias Samuel and Deputy National Disaster Coordinator, Claricia Langley-Stevens, was joined by NEMA District Volunteers and the Executive of the SKN CDM Youth Ambassadors.
The Week continues today with Talks in Schools, facilitated by the Youth Ambassadors and an appearance on Frank and Candid with Nital, on ZIZ Radio.
For more information on how you can participate in IDDR 2018 or to become a NEMA District Volunteer, please call NEMA at 466-5100.
Vesta I. Southwell
PRO/NEMA
8th October, 2018.
